Use branding to court legal market

Published on May 04, 2009.

Brian Hunt, Publisher, "The Recorder,' CalLaw.com, Incisive Media
Brian Hunt in late March was named publisher of The Recorder, which provides legal news for Northern California, and CalLaw.com, one of the top legal Web sites for the Golden State. Hunt joined parent company Incisive Media from Dolan Media Co., where he was publisher of the Daily Journal of Commerce. He oversees all print and online programs for The Recorder, GC California and CalLaw.com.
MB:Lawyers are a notoriously hard group to reach. What's your initial marketing strategy to help your customers get in front of your readers?Hunt: I wouldn't necessarily say lawyers are hard to reach if you have a strong brand presence in the market. I'm getting out there and having conversations with as many customers as possible because I believe it's all about asking them what they need and finding ways to deliver it.
MB:Law firms are considered laggards when it comes to marketing communications. What kind of marketing tools do you intend to deploy to change that mentality?Hunt: Our marketing and advertising growth strategy is not just from traditional [channels] even though I'm optimistic about those. We're thinking about ways to better serve the business of law through research and work-flow tools. There are a lot of opportunities to provide more information about the business of law, the business with which law firms practice and aspects of law, in terms of litigation. ... Being focused on a specific industry gives us an opportunity to be of more service and solve problems for our customers. It's relatively clear. —M.S.